Abstract
This is a review of the literature on pathological gambling prepared for the work group on disorders of impulse control, not elsewhere classified of the American Psychiatric Association. It introduces the new DSM-IV criteria as well as outlines the phases of the career of the pathological gambler. Research discussed includes that on pathological gambling and psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, family issues, children, finances, and crime. Psychoanalytic, personality, behavioral, sociological, psychologically based addiction theories, and physiological research are also summarized. Finally, treatment outcome studies are outlined.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abt, V., Smith, J.F. & Christiansen, E.M. (1985).The business of risk: Commercial gambling in mainstream America. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press.
Adkins, B.J., Rugle, L.J. & Taber, J.I. (1985).A note on sexual addiction among compulsive gamblers. Paper presented at the First National Conference on Gambling Behavior of the National Council on Compulsive Gambling, New York (November).
American Psychiatric Association (1980).Diagnostic and statistical manual, third edition. Washington, D.C.: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (1987).Diagnostic and statistical manual, third edition, revised. Washington, D.C.: Author.
Anderson, G. & Brown, R.I.F. (1987). Some applications of reversal theory to the explanation of gambling and gambling addictions.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 179–189.
Bannister, G. (1977). Cognitive and behavior therapy in a case of compulsive gambling.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1, 223–227.
Barker, J.C. & Miller, M. (1968). Aversion therapy for compulsive gambling.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 146, 285–302.
Bergler, E. (1936). On the psychology of the gambler.American Imago, 22, 409–441.
Bergler, E. (1969) [1943]. The gambler: A misunderstood neurotic.Journal of Criminal Psychopathology, 4, 379–393. reprinted inSelected papers of Edmund Bergler, M.D.-1933–1961. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Bergler, E. (1958).The psychology of gambling. New York: International Universities Press.
Blackman, S., Simone, R. & Thorns, D. (1986). Letter to the editor: Treatment of gamblers.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 37, 404.
Blaszczynski, A.P. (1985). Pathological gambling: An illness or myth. In J. McMillen (Ed.)Gambling in the 80s. Proceedings of the inaugural conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies (NAGS), Brisbane.
Blaszczynski, A.P., Buhrich, N. & McConaghy, N. (1985). Pathological gamblers, heroin addicts and controls compared on the E.P.Q. ‘addiction scale.’British Journal of Addiction, 80, 315–319.
Blaszczynski, A.P., Winter, S.W. & McConaghy, N. (1986). Plasma endorphin levels in pathological gambling.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 3–14.
Blume, S.B. (1986). Treatment for the addictions: Alcoholism, drug dependence and compulsive gambling in a psychiatric setting.Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 3, 131–133.
Bolen, D.W. & Boyd, W. (1968). Gambling and the gambler: A review and preliminary findings.Archives of General Psychiatry, 18, 617–630.
Boyd, W. & Bolen, D.W. (1970). The compulsive gambler and spouse in group psychotherapy.International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 20, 77–90.
Brown, R.I.F. (1987). Models of gambling and gambling addiction as perceptual filters.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 224–236.
Brown, R.I.F. (1987). Pathological gambling and associated patterns of crime: Comparisons with alcohol and other drug addictions.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 98–114.
Brown, R.I.F. (1985). The effectiveness of Gamblers Anonymous. In Eadington (ed.)The gambling studies: Proceedings of the sixth national conference on gambling and risk taking. Reno, Nevada: Bureau of Business and Economic Research. University of Nevada, Reno.
Browne, B. (1989). Going on tilt: Frequent poker players and control.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 3–21.
Carlton, P.L. & Goldstein, L. (1987). Physiological determinants of pathological gambling. In T. Galski (Ed.)Handbook on pathological gambling. (Pp. 111–122). Springfield IL: Charles C. Thomas Pub..
Carlton, P.L. & Goldstein, L. (1988). Physiological factors as determinants of pathological gambling.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 274–285.
Carlton, P.L., Manowitz, P., McBride, H., Nora, R., Swartzburg, M. & Goldstein, L. (1987). Attention deficit disorder and pathological gambling.Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 48, 487–488.
Carnes, P. (1983).The sexual addiction. Minneapolis: Comp Care.
Christiansen, E.M. (1989, July 15). 1988 gross annual wager.Gaming and Wagering Business, 10, 8.
Ciarrocchi, J. & Richardson, R. (1989). Profile of compulsive gamblers in treatment: Update and comparisons.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 53–65.
Ciarrocchi, J. (1987). Severity of impairment in dually addicted gamblers.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 16–26.
Comess, L. (1960).The analysis of the gambler. Ph.D. dissertation, Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute.
Commission on the Review of the National Policy Toward Gambling (1976).Gambling in America. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Colter, S.B. (1971). The use of different behavioral techniques in treating a case of compulsive gambling.Behavior Therapy, 2, 579–584.
Culleton, R.P. (1985).A survey of pathological gamblers in the State of Ohio. Philadelphia: Transition Planning Associates.
Custer, R.L. (1982). An overview of compulsive gambling. In P.A. Carone, S.F. Yoles, S.N. Kiefer and L. Krinsky (Eds)Addictive disorders update: Alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling. New York: Human Sciences Press.
Custer, R.L. & Custer, L.F. (1978).Characteristics of the recovering compulsive gambler: A survey of 150 members of Gamblers Anonymous. Paper presented at the Fourth Annual Conference on Gambling, Reno, Nevada (December).
Custer, R.L. with Milt, H. (1985).When luck runs out. New York: Facts on File Publications.
Dickerson, M.G. (1979). FI schedules and persistence at gambling in the UK betting office.Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, 12, 315–323.
Dickerson, M.G. (1984).Compulsive gamblers. London: Longman.
Dickerson, M. & Weeks, D. (1979). Controlled gambling as a therapeutic technique for compulsive gamblers.Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.10, 139–141.
Division of Alcoholism (1988).Report on pathological gambling in New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Author.
Fenichel, O. (1945). The psychoanalytic theory of neurosis. New York: Norton.
Fitchett, S.M. & Sandford, D.A. (1976). Treatment for habitual gambling. In Krumboltz & Thoresen (eds.)Counseling Methods. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Freud, S. (1961). Dostoevsky and parricide (1928). In J. Strachey (trans-ed.)Standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. Vol. XXI, Pp. 175–196. London: Hogarth.
Galdston, I. (1960). The gambler and his love.American Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 553–555.
Goldstein, L., Manowitz, P., Nora, R., Swartzburg, M. & Carlton, P.L. (1985). Differential EEG activation and pathological gambling.Biological Psychiatry, 20, 1232–1234.
Goorney, A.B. (1968). Treatment of a compulsive horse race gambler by aversion therapy.British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 329–333.
Graham, J.R. & Lowenfeld, B.H. (1986). Personality dimensions of the pathological gambler.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 58–66.
Greenberg, D. & Rankin, H. (1982). Compulsive gamblers in treatment.British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 364–366.
Greenberg, D. & Marks, I. (1982). Behavioral psychotherapy of uncommon referrals.British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 148–153.
Greenson, R. (1947). On Gambling.American Imago, 4, 61–77.
Haberman, P.W. (1969) Drinking and other self-indulgences: Complements or counter-attractions?The International Journal of the Addictions, 4, 157–167.
Harkavy, E. (1954). The psychoanalysis of a gambler.International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 35, 285.
Harris, H.I. (1964). Gambling addiction in an adolescent male.Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 33, 513–525.
Hayano, D. (1982).Poker faces: The life and work of professional card players. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Jacobs, D.F. (1988). Evidence for a common dissociative-like reaction among addicts.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 27–37.
Jacobs, D.F. (1989). Children of problem gamblers.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 261–268.
Jacobs, D.F. (1986). A general theory of addictions: A new theoretical model.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 15–31.
Kallick, M., Suits, D., Dielman, T. & Hybels, J. (1979).A survey of gambling attitudes and behavior. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
Kuley, N.B. & Jacobs, D.F. (1988). The relationship between dissociative-like experiences and sensation seeking among social and problem gamblers.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 197–207.
Laufer, (1966). Object loss and mourning during adolescence.Psychoanalytic Study Child, 21, 269–293.
Lesieur, H.R. (1979). The compulsive gambler's spiral of options and involvement.Psychiatry: Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes, 42, 79–87.
Lesieur, H.R. (1984)The Chase: Career of the compulsive gambler. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Books.
Lesieur, H.R. (1988a). The female pathological gambler. In W.R. Eadington (Ed.)Gambling Studies: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking. Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada.
Lesieur, H.R. (1988b). Report on pathological gambling in New Jersey. InReport and recommendations of the governor's advisory commission on gambling. Pp. 103–165. Trenton, NJ: Governor's Advisory Commission on Gambling.
Lesieur, H.R. (1989, November).Female pathological gamblers and crime. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Reno, Nevada.
Lesieur, H.R. & Blume, S.B. (1987). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (The SOGS): A new instrument for the identification of pathological gamblers.American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1184–1188.
Lesieur, H.R. & Blume, S.B. (in press). When lady luck loses: Women and compulsive gambling. In N. van den Bergh (Ed.)Feminist perspectives on treating addictions. New York: Springer.
Lesieur, H.R., Blume, S.B. & Zoppa, R.M. (1986). Alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling.Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 10, 33–38.
Lesieur, H.R. & Custer, R.L. (1984). Pathological gambling: Roots, phases, and treatment.Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 474, 146–156.
Lesieur, H.R. & Klein R. (1987). Pathological gambling among high school students.Addictive Behaviors, 12, 129–135.
Lesieur, H.R. & Klein, R. (1985).Prisoners, gambling and crime. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Las Vegas, Nevada (April).
Lesieur, H.R. & Heineman, M. (1988). Pathological gambling among youthful multiple substance abusers in a therapeutic community.British Journal of Addiction, 83, 765–771.
Lesieur, H.R. & Rothschild, J. (1989). Children of Gamblers Anonymous members.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 269–282.
Lesieur, H.R., Cross, J., Frank, M., Welch, M., White, C, Rubenstein, G., Moseley, K., & Mark, M. (1990, August).Gambling and pathological gambling among college students. Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Risk and Gambling, London.
Levinson, P.K., Gernstein, D.R. & Maloff, D.R. (eds.) (1983)Commonalities in substance abuse and habitual behaviors. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Linden, R.D., Pope, H.G. & Jonas, J.M. (1986). Pathological gambling and major affective disorder: Preliminary findings,Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 47, 201–203.
Lindner, R.M. (1950). The psychodynamics of gambling.Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 269, 93–107.
Livingston, J. (1974).Compulsive gamblers: Observations on action and abstinence. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
Lorenz, V. (1981).Differences found Among Catholic, Protestant and Jewish families of pathological gamblers. Paper presented at the Fifth National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, (October).
Lorenz, V.C. & Yaffee, R.A. (1986). Pathological gambling: Psychosomatic, emotional, and marital difficulties as reported by the gambler.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 40–49.
Lorenz, V.C. & Yaffee, R.A. (1988). Pathological gambling: Psychosomatic, emotional, and marital difficulties as reported by the spouse.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 13–26.
McConaghy, N., Armstrong, M.S., Blaszczynski, A. & Allcock, C. (1983). Controlled comparison of aversive therapy and imaginai desensitization in compulsive gambling.British Journal of Psychiatry.142, 366–372.
McCormick, R.A., Russo, A.M., Ramirez, L.F. & Taber, J.I. (1984). Affective disorders among pathological gamblers seeking treatment.American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 215–218.
McCormick, R.A. & Taber, J.I. (1987). The pathological gambler: Salient personality variables. In T. Galski (ed.)Handbook on pathological gambling. (Pp. 9–40). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Pub..
Meyer G. (1989)Gluckspieler in selbsthilfegmppen: Erste ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung. Hamburg: Neuland.
Miller, W.R. (Ed.) (1980).The addictive behaviors. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Mintz, R.S. (1970). Prevalence of persons in the City of Los Angeles who have attempted suicide.Bulletin of Suicidology, 7, 9–16.
Moran, E. (1969). Taking the final risk.Mental Health, (London) 21–22.
Moran, E. (1970). Varieties of pathological gambling.British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 593–597.
Moravec, J.D. (1978).A guide to establishing compulsive gambler treatment programs in outpatient clinics, mental hygiene clinics and community mental health clinics. Paper presented at the Fourth Annual Conference on Gambling, Reno, Nevada (December).
Moravec, J.D. & Munley, P.H. (1983). Psychological test findings on pathological gamblers in treatment.The International Journal of the Addictions, 18, 1003–1009.
Moskowitz, J.A. (1980). Lithium and lady luck: Use of lithium carbonate in compulsive gambling.New York State Journal of Medicine, 80, 785–788.
Nora, R. (1984).Profile survey on pathological gamblers. Paper presented at the Sixth National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Atlantic City, N.J. (December).
Oldman, D. (1978). Compulsive gamblers.Sociological Review, 26, 349–371.
Orford, J. (1985).Excessive appetites: A psychological view of addictions. Chichester: Wiley & Sons.
Peele, S. (1985).The meaning of addiction. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Politzer, R.M., Morrow, J.S. & Leavey, S.B. (1985). Report on the cost-benefit/effectiveness of treatment at the Johns Hopkins Center for Pathological Gambling.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 1, 119–130.
Ramirez, L.F., McCormick, R.A., Russo, A.M. & Taber, J.I. (1984). Patterns of substance abuse in pathological gamblers undergoing treatment.Addictive Behaviors, 8, 425–428.
Rankin, H. (1982). Control rather than abstinence as a goal in the treatment of excessive gambling.Behavioral Research and Therapy, 20, 185–187.
Reider, N. (1960). Percept as a screen: Economic and structural aspects.Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 8, 82–99.
Rosecrance, J. (1986). Attributions and the origins of problem gambling.The Sociological Quarterly, 27, 463–477.
Rosenthal, R.J. (1986). The pathological gambler's system of self-deception.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 108–120.
Rosenthal, R.J. (1986, November).Chance, luck, fate and destiny: Toward a developmental model of pathological gambling. Keynote address of the Second Annual Conference on Gambling Behavior of the National Council on Compulsive Gambling. Philadelphia.
Rosenthal, R.J. (1987). The psychodynamics of pathological gambling: A review of the literature. In T. Galski (Ed.)The handbook of pathological gambling. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Rosenthal, R.J. (1989). Pathological gambling and problem gambling: Problems in definition and diagnosis. In H. Shafferet al. (Eds.)Compulsive gambling: Theory, research and practice. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Rosenthal, R.J. (1989, November).Compulsive gambling. Paper presented to the California Society for the Treatment of Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, San Diego.
Rosenthal, RJ. & Lesieur, H.R. (1990, August). Withdrawal symptoms and pathological gambling. Paper presented at the Eighth International Conference on Risk and Gambling, London.
Roston, R. (1961).Some personality characteristics of male compulsive gamblers. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California-Los Angeles.
Roy, A. Adinoff, B., Roehrich, L., Lamparski, D., Custer, R., Lorenz, V., Barbaccia, M., Guidotti, A., Costa, E. & Linnoila, M. (1988). Pathological gambling: A psychobiological study.Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 369–373.
Roy, A., De Jong, J. & Linnoila, M. (1989). Extraversion in pathological gamblers.Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 679–681.
Russo, A.M., Taber, J.I., McCormick, R.A. & Ramirez, L.F. (1984). An outcome study of an inpatient treatment program for pathological gamblers.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 35, 823–827.
Schwaneberg, R. (1981). Resort aid tells of casino lure for underage teens.The Star Ledger, April 6, p. 4.
Seager, C. P. (1970). Treatment of Compulsive Gamblers by Electrical Aversion.British Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 545–553.
Simmel, E. (1920). Psychoanalysis of the gambler.International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 1, 352–353.
Sommers, I. (1988). Pathological gambling: Estimating prevalence and group characteristics.International Journal of the Addictions, 23, 477–490.
Stekel, W. (1943) [1924]. The gambler. In J.S. Van Teslaar (trans-ed.)Peculiarities of behavior. Vol. II. Pp. 233–255. New York: Liveright.
Strauss, M.A., Gelles, R.J., & Steinmetz, S.K. (1980).Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Press/Doubleday.
Taber, J.I. (1982). Group psychotherapy with pathological gamblers. In W.R. Eadington (ed.)The gambling papers: Procedures of the fifth national conference on gambling and risk taking. Reno, Nevada: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Nevada.
Taber, J.I., McCormick, R.A. & Ramirez, L.F. (1987). The prevalence and impact of major life Stressors among pathological gamblers.The International Journal of the Addictions, 22, 71–79.
Taber, J.I., Russo, A.M., Adkins, B.J. & McCormick, R.A. (1986). Ego strength and achievement motivation in pathological gamblers.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 69–80.
Victor, R.G. & Krug, C.M. (1967). Case reports: ‘Paradoxical intentions’ in the treatment of compulsive gambling.American Journal of Psychotherapy, 21, 808–814.
Volberg, R.A. & Steadman, H.J. (1988). Refining prevalence estimates of pathological gambling.American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 502–505.
Volberg, R.A. & Steadman, H.J. (1989). Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in New Jersey and Maryland.American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 1618–1619.
Von Hattingberg, H. (1914). Analerotik, angstlust und eigensinn.Int Z. Psychoanal, 2, 244–258.
Walker, M. & Trimboli, L. (1985). An analysis of heavy gambling as an addiction. In J. McMillen (Ed.)Gambling in the 80s. Proceedings of the inaugural conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies (NAGS), Brisbane.
Wanda G. & Foxman J. (1971).Games compulsive gamblers, wives and families play. Downey, CA: Gam-Anon, Inc.
Weissman, P. (1963). The effects of preoedipal paternal attitudes on development and character.International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 44, 121–131.
Wexler, S. (1981).A chart on the effects of compulsive gambling on the wife. Parlin, NJ: Author.
Whitman-Raymond, R.G. (1988). Pathological gambling as a defense against loss.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 99–109.
Wray, I. & Dickerson, M. (1981). Cessation of high frequency gambling and ‘withdrawal’ symptoms.British Journal of Addiction, 76, 401–405.
Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation seeking: A comparative approach to a human trait.Behavior and Brain Science, 7, 413–471.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article is dedicated to the memory of Robert L. Custer, MD whose inspiration and encouragement stimulated much of the research discussed herein.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lesieur, H.R., Rosenthal, R.J. Pathological gambling: A review of the literature (prepared for the American Psychiatric Association task force on DSM-IV committee on disorders of impulse control not elsewhere classified). J Gambling Stud 7, 5–39 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01019763
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01019763